Page 50 of The Ice Sisters

Laney checked the woman’s liver temperature. “Judging from the state of rigor and liver temp, I’d say she died early today.”

“Any other injuries?” Ellie asked.

“Some bruising around her wrists and neck as if he grabbed her and she tried to run away.”

Derrick returned and joined them. “COD?”

“Bled out from stab wounds,” Laney said.

“Your take on the father?” Ellie asked Derrick.

“I think we can clear him,” Derrick said. “Divorce was amicable. They shared custody. And he’s been with the kids all day.”

“What about the twins or Barbara?”

“He didn’t know them, but the daughter claims her mother was upset about the news of the twins’ death. She also overheard her mother talking to a woman named Barbara a couple of days ago.”

Ellie’s mind ticked over the possibilities. “We know they’re all connected.”

Derrick clenched his jaw. “Tomorrow, we track down those other women and see what they have to say.”

“Maybe Delilah knew secrets Barbara didn’t want exposed,” Ellie said, thinking out loud.

“What secret was big enough to kill for?” Derrick asked.

“Good question.”

“It was obvious in those photographs that Barbara loved the children just like she loved her students,” Ellie said.

The other teachers’ descriptions echoed in Ellie’s head. They’d painted Barbara as a loving, caring person. Ellie couldn’t make herself believe that she was a killer.

FIFTY-NINE

OPOSSUM TRAIL FARM

Cord knew better than to touch anything he found or tamper with possible evidence. He wasn’t a cop and had no warrant but this area where Modelle had hung the necklace and the small burial spot definitely looked suspicious.

He snapped a photo of the necklace dangling from the tree limb to show Ellie. He had no idea if it belonged to Modelle’s daughter or another child but it seemed out of place here.

What if Modelle had hurt another child in the past?

He inched closer to the small mound, made sure his gloves were intact, then checked around him and glanced back at the house to make sure Modelle hadn’t returned. He listened for a car but things were quiet so he used a rock he found nearby to dig up the mound.

His fingers connected with a small metal box which turned out to be a fishing tackle box. Curious as to the reason Modelle would hide this in the ground, he opened it.

His stomach heaved as he realized what was inside. Trinkets.

Hair ties, bows, a charm bracelet, a beaded necklace that spelled the word Friends… all things that belonged to a little girl or more than one child. Then a long cord with the letter L, the first letter of Modelle’s daughter’s name.

Had they belonged to his daughter? Or other children? Perhaps someone he was stalking?

Ellie needed to see these. But he couldn’t take the items with him, dammit.

He carefully laid each one out and snapped a photograph of the objects. Seconds ticked by, his stomach churning.

Suddenly an engine cut through the night, and he swung his gaze back toward the road. In the distance headlights flickered. He had to get out of here.

He closed the tackle box and placed it back into the hole then quickly began to cover it with the dirt and snow, carefully creating a mound so he could leave it just as he’d found it.

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